Is Edible Packaging the Future of Packaged Foods?

Cardboard boxes and plastic wrappers had better watch out because a new type of food packaging was recently invented. What's so exciting about the newest form of packaging? For one thing, it's edible.

According to Food Production Daily, a new type of sustainable food packaging that consumers can eat along with the food housed inside has been invented. Harvard Professor and biomedical engineer, David Edwards, developed the edible packaging, which he calls the "future of food packaging."

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Dubbed WikiCells, the edible packaging is described as membranes that are wrapped around different foods to protect them. Edwards explains that the membranes can be compared to the protective layers on apples and oranges. The packaging consists of charged particles bound by electrostatic forces, which then surround the food itself. The food is then finally wrapped in a biodegradable hard shell.

So far the edible packaging team has developed three different membranes to house foods: pumpkin soup in a spinach membrane, lemon juice in a lemon membrane, and melted chocolate in a cherry membrane. Edwards stated that the culinary thinking behind the packaging is important as well. Membranes are paired with certain foods on purpose so that consumers will enjoy eating the membrane along with the enclosed food.

WikiCells are currently offered at a store called FoodLab in Paris, which Edwards founded. It's predicted that the new packaging technology will be on the market in less than a year.

What are the problems with WikiCells? Stability is still an issue for developers and so is long-term packaging. The membranes are only stable for about a day when kept at room temperature but are viable for long-term stability when frozen. The WikiCells team is confident that room temperature and refrigerated stability will improve as they continue to develop the packaging. Ultimately, the WikiCells team hopes to sell the edible packaging as a sustainable alternative to plastic containers.

Would you buy food enclosed in edible packaging? Would you eat the WikiCells membrane?